How To Protect Yourself From the Next Corporate Hack

The year is 2017, and 2018 is just around the corner. We live in a world of pure technological amazement. We now have computers that fit in our pockets, self-driving cars, and televisions that are as flat as a framed painting. But 2017 is also a scary time for technology. So much information is being shared and stored on massive servers, just ready for the taking. And that’s exactly what’s happened. As technology becomes more advanced, so do hackers. Today’s hackers have come up with a variety of different programs and viruses that can easily hack into the most “impenetrable” of defenses.

As of this writing, billions of average citizens’ have had their personal information hacked in some way or another. The most common threat to our information is the corporate cyber attack. Large corporations, like Target, Amazon, Google and Equifax, have access to countless sensitive information. When these corporations’ servers are hacked, we are all hacked, in a way. Equifax, Playstation, Target and Yahoo! are just a few examples of massive corporate data breaches that have stunned the world, and left billions at risk.

So how can you protect yourself?

Don’t Click on Emails That Seem Fishy

If you are receiving an email from a company or person that you’ve never heard of before, and have never done any recent business with, do not open the email. If you see an email from someone you know who you normally don’t communicate with via email, ask that person immediately if they’ve emailed you. If an email, from a glance, seems even remotely suspicious, DO NOT OPEN IT. And most important of all: DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS!

Use a Credit Card

If you are shopping online, you will want to use a credit card, if you can. By using a credit card, you actually can prevent yourself from being held liable for any fraudulent credit card transactions.

Keep Detailed Notes of Your Spending and Passwords

If you purchased a bag of candy from a gas station, keep a note. If you’ve purchased a brand new television from an electronics store, keep a note. Keeping track of this information is crucial to combatting credit card fraud. If you see any discrepancy in your transaction history, immediately report it. Also, make sure to keep detailed records of your passwords. Do not use the same password for every profile you have, and make sure to make them long and complicated phrases. Recent information suggests that alphanumeric passwords are not as secure as long phrases.

Staying safe in today’s world is tough, but it can be done. Take these cautionary steps and you should be fine.